The 10 Most Epic Outros in Rock

It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Not satisfied with finishing the song after the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-middle eight-chorus (ad lib to fade optional), the generous artist will switch the tone a little and carry on for another couple of minutes in a completely different direction. Or they’ll superglue a minute from an entirely different song onto this one and hope everyone thinks it adds a certain grandeur. Whatever, the epic outro is to be saluted and here are 10 deeply subjective picks.

10. Led Zeppelin, ‘Achilles’ Last Stand’
Percy wails, Jimmy shreds and Bonzo gets the tattoos out. The tattoos of PUMMELING DRUMS, that is. ‘Achilles’ Last Stand’ is pretty much one big outro altogether, but the trace of song about half an hour ago gives it a clifftop to leap off.

9. The Beta Band, ‘Dry The Rain’
Not sure there was time for Noel Gallagher to hear ‘Dry The Rain’ before writing ‘All Around The World’, so the vast brass-led procession that ends both tracks must be a coincidence. Still both The Beta Band and Oasis were channelling (man) some Beatley vibes (man, again).

8. The Wedding Present, ‘Interstate 5’
Keening, scratchy rock from David Gedge and pals that falls gracefully apart at the six-minute mark before reassembling as the intersection where The Shadows, Glen Campbell and the Buena Vista Social Club meet. A pleasant place.

7. Super Furry Animals, ‘The Man Don’t Give A Fuck’
In its common four-minute version, ‘The Man Don’t Give A Fuck’ is a clever, catchy chunk of groove-spun protest. As God intended, in its 10-minute (plus any amount of time the venue will allow) form it turns into a monstrous, hammering techno druid devised to keep you in the building until your brain detaches itself from its stem and marries the cosmos.

5. Underworld, ‘Born Slippy’
The outro is really just a one-louder version of the (nish, clish and) banging break earlier in the track, but it’s an invaluable chance to go batshit mental after those lush synths and Renton’s shit-eating-grinning escape.